The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KNIA) CEO, Dr. Tonny Omwansa has challenged universities across the country to sharpen their competitive edge in innovation, even as the Network of Entrepreneurial Institution Leaders rolls out a nationwide student innovation challenge, aimed at identifying and nurturing the most promising young innovators.
Speaking during the Innovation Week at Maasai Mara University, Dr. Omwansa said the challenge is designed to spark healthy rivalry among universities, while pushing institutions to align their strengths with real-world problem solving.
For instance, he noted that Maasai Mara University’s (MMU) niche in tourism, environmental resource management and conservation places it in a strong position to leverage the challenge.
According to Omwansa, a niche is defined by an institution’s distinctive capability that is consistently recognized, resourced and applied to address societal challenges.
He urged the university to deepen its expertise by investing in specialized infrastructure, strengthening academic programs and taking a more intentional approach to capacity building.
Students taking part in the challenge, he added, were already undergoing training through a start-up school programme, where skills development remains a top priority.
Dr. Omwansa further called on the institution to evaluate its ecosystem positioning, which refers to how industry players and government want to leverage MMU, particularly in areas tied to its core strengths.
He pointed out that innovation in fields such as precision agriculture by use of census and satellite data, drought-resistant and indigenous crops presents an opportunity to boost productivity while conserving ecosystems.
“These innovations will not only improve yields, but also restore soil health and biodiversity,” he said.
In her remarks, Maasai Mara University Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Peninah Oloo described the innovation week as a turning point for the institution, offering a platform to nurture creativity, advance knowledge and develop solutions with global impact.
Prof. Oloo said the initiative enables students to showcase their ideas, researchers to present groundbreaking work and partners to witness the transformative power of collaboration.
“Innovation is not just confined to laboratories or lecture halls, but it lives in our students’ ideas, our researchers’ work and the partnerships we build across borders,” she said.
The VC highlighted the university’s partnership with the Kenya National Innovation Agency, noting that it has facilitated extensive training and benchmarking opportunities in countries such as India, Denmark and South Africa.
Building on these experiences, the university has developed an entrepreneurial commercialization master plan anchored on five strategic pillars, including innovative leadership, stronger collaboration between academia and industry, financial support for start-ups, establishment of an innovation hub and entrepreneurial education focused on mentorship and capacity building.
She emphasized that the university is committed to producing job creators rather than job seekers, adding that the milestone signals a deliberate effort to embed innovation into the institution’s culture.
The week-long event is expected to catalyze fresh ideas and reinforce Maasai Mara University’s role as a key player in driving sustainable innovation in Kenya and beyond.
By Emily Kadzo
